The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering figure of the civil rights movement and one of North Carolina A&T State University’s most renowned alumni, has died at the age of 84.
Jackson, who rose from student activism in Greensboro to become one of the nation’s most influential voices for racial equality and social justice, passed away, his family confirmed.
Born in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1941, Jackson attended North Carolina A&T in the early 1960s, where he became deeply involved in the sit-in movement at local lunch counters across Greensboro.
Those early demonstrations connected him to the larger struggle for civil rights and set him on a lifelong path advocating for equality.
Jackson also played quarterback for the Aggies from 1962-64 and was part of the 1964 CIAA championship team. He also served as student body president.
After earning his sociology degree from A&T and later studying theology at Chicago Theological Seminary, Jackson joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference under Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He became a close aide to King and was present in Memphis in 1968 on the night of King’s assassination — a moment that would shape Jackson’s mission for the rest of his life.
In the decades that followed, Jackson founded Operation PUSH and the Rainbow Coalition, organizations dedicated to empowering Black communities politically and economically. His presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 broke barriers for African Americans in national politics, winning millions of votes and inspiring a new generation of leaders.
In recent years, Jackson battled health issues, including Parkinson’s disease, but remained active in public life, frequently speaking on issues of voting rights, poverty, and education. In 2021, he resigned as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, handing leadership to a new generation.
